We are Taking the Listerine 21 Day Challenge, Will You? #LISTERINE #21DayChallenge

Knowledge is Power right? Well Listerine laid down some knowledge on this mama and inspired me to make some changes in this families oral health care habits, and just in time for my semi-annual cleaning too.

Did you know that brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth?

WHAT? Yuck! Yea that is a HUGE number! Are you guilty of only brushing? Doesn’t reading that make you want to go brush your teeth, floss and rinse with mouthwash too? I sadly admit that I don’t always do a thorough regimen of brushing, flossing and using mouthwash. I am pretty obsessed with oral care….I carry floss in my purse, but at the same time I don’t use it everyday and I don’t use my mouthwash every time I brush either. I use mouthwash in the morning and brush and then go about my daily activities. I floss if I feel like I have something in my teeth or if I am told I have something in my teeth (thanks but how embarrassing!). I rarely use my mouthwash at night and again rarely floss at night meaning I am missing 75% of my mouth quite often. And I know my boys are not great at their routines, with a toddler just learning to take care of his teeth I need to set the pace!

What is your daily oral hygiene routine?

This month my family and I are taking the Listerine 21 Day Challenge. We are making it a point to not rush through our daily oral hygiene routines. No “hurry and brush your teeth!”, “don’t worry about it, we are late!”. Although I am sure we will still run late, taking the extra few moments to take care of our mouths is important. I won’t be saying “did you brush your teeth?” as I am getting everyone ready for bed, I will be standing there with them as we make it a habit. As a parent, it is my responsibility to set not only a good example for my families hygiene habits but make it the standard we live by. I am writing in our ‘to do’ lists and making sure we all take the steps to hold each other accountable, everyone will be flossing regularly and rinsing twice a day with Listerine mouthwash. We can do it!

Not So Fun (and Scary) Facts:

There are more germs in your mouth than there are people on earth!

Oral disease is now the most chronic childhood illness in the U.S.

Nearly half of American adults suffer from some form of periodontal (gum) disease and may not even know.

As many as 130 million Americans lack dental insurance with 15.4 million children.

Join me in the Listerine 21 Day Challenge

For every person who signs up for the February 21 Day challenge on Facebook, the LISTERINE® Brand will make a contribution to help Oral Health America’s Smiles Across America® program toward their goal of connecting up to 210,000 children with needed oral health services in 2013*.

I received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE® 21 Day Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Trackbacks

[…] In an effort to start taking better care of ourselves, my family has been making some changes. One change being for the last 21 days we have been taking the Listerine 21-Day Challenge (you can check out the first part of our experience here). […]